I'm serious. 9 yr old Ds1 got back from cubs late tonight, he had been away a atrip. he was all chatty, telling me where they had been and what they had seen.
Then he got into bed, and he kicked off, over a hot water bottle. They got 1 each for Christmas, DS1 got the red one, DS2 got a blue 1. DS2 had the red 1 in bed and was fast asleep. DS1 went into meltdown, he threw the bottle across the room, it landed on his brothers bed. he was screeching loudly "I want the red one". I calmly explained to him that DS2 had the red one and was sleeping, it would be cool now, and the blue one was warmer. He wouldn't have it though, he was lying on his bed, screaming at me, and kicking his legs up and down. He woke DS2, i took him through to our room. Went back and tried explaining to DS1 again about why he had the blue one - it was warmer, it was only a hot water bottle, i know the red one was his, but i was trying to get his brother into bed and just gave him the first one i came across, etc etc.
I was in tears and didn't know how to handle it. in the end I admit I lost my temper and threw the bottle away and went and sat on the stairs.
This isn't normal behaviour for a 9 year old surely,even when he was having toddler tantrums he didn't go on like this. He has had a few " mini - meltdowns this week over really silly things, and has taken to bursting into tears and going to sit on the kitchen floor if he doesn't get his own way/someone annoys him.
I must be doing something wrong in the way i bring them up - i get told often enough it's my fault and I'm beginning to believe it now. he was such a happy little boy, always smiling, but just recently he seems so angry and miserable all the time, everything is a battle with him